Improvement in locks and latches



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df/r@ @fr Www UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

H. H. ELWELL, OF SOUTH NORWALK, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE NORWALK LOCK COMPANY7 OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN LocKsiAND LATcHEs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 41,74l, dated February 23, 1864.

' To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, H. H. ELwELL,of South Norwalk, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and use ful Improvement in Locks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specifica-tion, in which- Figure 1 is an internal view of my invention, the side of the case nearest the eye being removed; Fig. 2, a horizontal section of the same taken in the line a: ai, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a section of a part of the same taken in the line y y,

Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of locks which are provided with reversible bolts to admit of one and the same lock being applied to either a right or a left hand door.

The invention consistsin the peculiar means employed for attaching the latch-bolt to the lever by which it is operated, as hereinafter fully set forth, whereby a iirm connection of said parts is obtained, and one which will admit of the latch-bolt being readily disconnected from the lever and reversed when neccssary without detaching any of the parts of the fastening or requiring any device, such as a guide or bearing, to keep the latch bolt in proper position.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents the case of the lock, which may be of rectangular form.

B is the bolt of the lock, which is operated by a key, and may be arranged in the usual or in any proper way and C is the latch-bolt, which is drawn back by a lever, D, oper ted by a hub, E, through which the knob-arbor passes, the latch-bolt being forced outward by a spring, F, of spiral or other form, which bears against the lever D, as shown in Fig. l.

The lever D works on a fulcrum-pin, a, in the case A, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and in the lower end of said lever there is a recess, b, to receive the inner end of the latch-bolt C, as shown clearly in Fig. I. The lever D, above the recess b, has a recess, c, in it to receive a slide, G, which has a pin, d, at its lower end, said pin passing through the recess b and a hole, d", in the inner end of the latch-bolt C, and serving to connect the latchbolt with thelever D.

H is a spiral spring, the lower end of which bears upon a shoulder, e, at the inner side of the slide G, the upper end of said spring bearing against a projection, j", on the lever D. (See Fig. 2.) This spring H has a tendency'to keep the pin cl forced down through the latch-bolt, as will be understood by referring to Fig. 2.

The slide G extends up through a recess, g, in the top of the case A, so that it may be raised,in order to withdraw the pin d from the latch-bolt, and admit of the latter being` reversed in' position, if desired, to suit either a right or left hand door.

By this arrangement it will be seen that no parts of the lock-case require to be detached in order to reverse the latch-bolt, and the latter does not require any bearing or guide to keep the latch-bolt on the pin d, and there are no movable parts on the outer side of the lock-case, the exterior of the same being smooth like the case of an ordinary lock.

I do not confine myself to the precise arrangement of the pin d as herein shown and described,for a screw-pin, may be fitted in the lever D, but the sliding pin as herein shown I consider preferable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The employment or use of a sliding or adjustable pin, d, in the lever D, in connection with a recess, b,in said lever, to receive the inner end of the latch-bolt C, substantially as and forthe purpose hereinset forth.

f H. H. ELWELL.

Witnesses:

THos. S. u. DOUGLAS, M. M. LIVINGsToN. 

